SACRAMENTO, Calif.— Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) announced [Wednesday] that it has provided the California Fire Foundation (CFF) with $1 million for a grant program that will help firefighters throughout the state prepare for and prevent climate change-driven disasters by providing funding for programs such as fire-retardant roof incentives, land-use planning, community education and grass clearing.

“As California deals with the impacts of climate change, PG&E is committed to being there at every step, working to improve disaster response capabilities, helping to rebuild in the aftermath of extreme weather and natural disasters, and strengthening our communities’ resilience. The California Fire Foundation is a critical partner in these efforts, particularly in educating our communities about wildfire prevention and providing support to firefighters,” said PG&E Corporation CEO and President Geisha Williams.

The California Fire Foundation, a non-profit 501c3 organization, aids firefighters, their families and the communities they protect. The Foundation’s Firefighters on Your Side program, also supported by PG&E, provides bilingual fire safety print and video campaigns offering important steps the public can take to stay safe.

With this contribution, CFF will expand its programs by encouraging fire organizations from around the state to identify needs and apply for grant funding. Applications, which can be found HERE, must be submitted by June 15, 2018.

“PG&E and the California Fire Foundation believe in putting safety first. We’re all about improving public safety and reducing risks. This funding from PG&E will go a long way toward helping us help communities prepare for and prevent safety hazards caused by climate change,” said Lou Paulson, President of the California Professional Firefighters, who serves on PG&E’s community advisory group and on Gov. Jerry Brown’s California Fire Service Task Force on Climate Impacts.

PG&E’s community investments in support of its three-pronged approach to climate change—“Respond, Rebuild and Resilience”—includes practicing and improving its disaster preparedness and response, investing in more resilient gas and electric systems and leading the way on reducing greenhouse gas emissions as California works toward a clean, sustainable energy future.

California is experiencing the impacts of climate change, including drought and rising sea levels and more frequent and severe storms, heatwaves and wildfires. Across the state, more than 5,700 wildfires burned in 2016 and an estimated 6,500 burned in 2017, according to CAL FIRE.

7 comments

PGE public relations department going into overdrive after starting all the fires last year. This is peanuts compared to what the lawyers are going to make on both sides.
Remember, this money comes from what you pay for your gas and power, not from the CEO’s bonuses.

Exactly. Indeed I’d expect the top management bonuses to go UP this year in anticipation of going down sometime in some mythical future…Honestly I’m already sick about the money going to the lawyers when it could be instead be used helping to fix the original problem of overhead lines running through dry woodlands. Just saw a friend’s divorce where the lawyers got fat by continuing the animosity and the childrens’ college funds get drained.

Please Mr. Climate- Don’t change and kill everything. Look- here’s a million dollars. We can give you more if you’d like…..Please Mr. Salmon- Don’t go extinct. We can give you money! Oh I see- you want waterproof money? Wait- what do you mean you don’t want money?! Money always works…..

“help firefighters throughout the state prepare for and prevent climate change-driven disasters by providing funding for programs such as fire-retardant roof incentives, land-use planning, community education and grass clearing.”